By Town Crier Report

COURTESY OF DEBBIE STINCHFIELD There was energy and compassion around the table as St. Simon’s Church Vacation Bible School students created art to share with Pathways Kids, a program for seriously ill or grieving children served by Pathways Home Health & Hospice.

The children of St. Simon Church Vacation Bible School in Los Altos once again chose to support Pathways Hospice as a Community Outreach Project.

Last year the children raised more than $1,700 in a two-week period to support Hospice families, becoming the first children recognized in the Pathways Circle of Caring.

This year the children focused their efforts on children served by the Pathways Kids program. This program serves children who are seriously ill or living in a home where someone is dying.

Deborah Stinchfield of Pathways visited and thanked the children of St. Simon, presenting them with a banner created by Pathways Hospice staff. The children in turn created art and wrote letters for the children in the Pathways Kids program.

Art is a central component of the program. “It’s difficult for kids to talk about death,” said Michele Morgaine, a licensed marriage and family therapist and a Pathways Spiritual Care counselor.

“Words often fail them as they may not have the verbal ability to express their feelings. Art is an alternate form of expression to share their fears and dreams. They can draw themes of death without talking about it.,” Morgaine said.

Morgaine said it would be wonderful to have art and letters from other children to share with the children of Pathways Kids. “I was talking with a young boy whose father has recently died,” she said. “He told me he felt so different from other children now that he did not have a ‘perfect’ family.”

Morgaine will give the work created by a St. Simon child to the little boy. It will connect him to another child … a child who recognizes what he is going through is difficult.

Pathways is a community-based, non-profit organization with one mission: to deliver compassionate, quality health care in the place of residence that promotes comfort, independence and dignity.

Pathways has served Los Altos and surrounding communities for 27 years and now provides care throughout the Bay Area.

For more information about Pathways services, or to volunteer or make a donation in support of Pathways families, call 949-3029 or logon to www.pathwayshealth.org.